Motor Boat & Yachting — November 2017

BOAT MASTER USEDB OAT

this was Superhawk turned up to 11!

On board, it’s classic muscle boat,

with sunpads stretched across the

top of the engine space aft and

a large deep cockpit with twin stand/

sit bolsters at the helm, the third

seat to port also available as a bolster

as an option when new.

Yet for all the performance

pretension, the Sunseeker attention

to detail shines through. Those aft

sunpads are split by a teak-laid

walkway, making access from swim

platform to cockpit an easy stroll.

A flip-up seat converts the step down

into more seating and a table folds

cunningly out from beneath the

dinette to create a useful dining area

opposite the wet bar. Head below, and

that Sunseeker detailing kicks in even

harder. This might be a performance

machine, but there’s no scrimping

on the fit-out. The style of the boat

means space is necessarily smaller

than a typical 43ft sportscruiser, but

the layout works well for a couple, with

a permanent bed in the forepeak and

an L-shaped settee opposite the galley

(cunningly the backrest lifts to create

Pullman-style twin beds if you do need

a little more sleeping room). There

is almost 6ft of headroom as you

enter and the heads is a particularly

good size. It lacks the mid cabin

of the Hunton XRS43 (arguably

the boat’s closest rival) but with the

open-plan layout and a foot more

beam, it feels roomier down here.

James McGoff

wanted a

Sunseeker

Superhawk 43

ever since he

saw the model

launch at the

Southampton Boat Show.

Replacing a Cobalt 263 with a

single petrol engine, he has lower

fuel costs as well as increased

fuel availability following the

change. Kept in Conwy Marina,

his North Sea cruising includes

the Isle of Man and Ireland.

Fellow Superhawk owner

James Burnett is a performance

boat fan and is on no less

than his third Sunseeker with

surface drives. He once took

his Superhawk 43 from Poole

to Jersey, almost 100 miles,

in only two and a half hours!

Type High performance

In build 2006-2009

Designer Don Shead / Sunseeker

Hull type Twin-stepped planing

RCD category B

Current value From £150,000

LOA 44ft 3in (13.49m)

Beam 11ft 11in (3.63m)

Draught 3ft 6in (1.08m)

Displacement 8.5 tonnes

Fuel capacity

220 gallons (1,000 litres)

Water capacity

44 gallons (200 litres)

Performance 44 knots with triple

Yamaha 315hp diesel engines

Cruising range 250 miles

at 30 knots with 20% reserve

MY TAKE In 2008 I spent a memorable day

driving the actual Superhawk 43 used in

Quantum of Solace. It was a champagne

moment aided by a stiff Force 6 with which to test the

hull’s mettle. It passed with flying colours. Literally. Hugo

To protect this boat with

Coppercoat multi-

season antifoul

would cost £1,260

(inc VAT)

THE NAME’S HAWK – SUPERHAWK

David describes a very limited-edition

version that was offered. To celebrate

that boat’s appearance in the 2008

Bond movie Quantum of Solace,

Sunseeker created (00) seven QoS

Special Edition boats. Featuring black

hulls and with the radar arch removed

to match the movie boat (look closely

and you’ll spot the film boat also had

a flat deck behind the front seats –

both were to facilitate its use as a fast

camera platform for the boat chase

that followed), the special editions

had carbon-fibre dash panels with

silver dials and black

Servicing (inc labour & VAT)

Triple Yamaha 315hp

£2,039.29

Replacement parts (inc VAT)

Drive belt £32.31

Impeller £51.37

Oil filter £26.15

Fuel filter £47.52

Coolant pump (exchange)

£274.70

THE COSTS

D ATA FILE

I BOUGHT ONE!

97

The perfect boat

for Bond fans of

both sexes

Twin Volvo D6 sterndrives

are the most user-friendly

engine option